Can't Hear You, Again!

Can't Hear You, Again! "Tap, tap."

Inside the Imperial Army camp, John strode along at a rapid pace, his face so gloomy it was almost frightening.

He had no time to care about the little tail following behind him. In his extremely foul mood, all he wanted was to find that muscle-brained bastard as quickly as possible and make him immediately abandon that damned deputy commander appointment.

Yet when he finally reached the rest area of the Black Eagle Special Forces, he heard the worst possible news from the guard stationed outside the tents:

"My apologies, Warrant Officer. Colonel Jett received orders from the general thirteen minutes ago and has already led the unit out on a mission. He probably won't be back anytime soon."

Then, seemingly recalling the colonel's instructions before leaving, the guard paused and added to the iron-faced John:

"Oh, right. The colonel also said that if you came by, I was to tell you that the personnel list required for your mission has already been confirmed and submitted to the general. If you have any questions, you may discuss them with the general."

"...I understand. Thank you for passing that on."

"You're welcome. May the glory of the Empire be with you."

"..."

John gave the guard a stiff smile and nod, then turned and left without hesitation.

He was furious now, faintly feeling the veins at his temples throbbing nonstop.

At that moment, he even wanted to eat Jett alive.

That bastard had clearly calculated that even if John went to complain to Dormammu, he would still be unable to change the current situation. That was why he had pulled such a move from under the rug.

After all, John was no fool. Back in the command post, Dormammu had made the decision immediately upon hearing the information about the person Jett had recommended.

John refused to believe that Dormammu had not figured out that the so-called deputy commander was the girl who called herself Laiya Binote.

So, those two bastards, one old and one young, were completely in cahoots.

Even if he went to that old bastard Dormammu and asked to replace her, he would probably only be rebuffed.

I knew neither of those two was any good!

Isn't everything completely screwed now?!

Once John realized that the survival plan he had painstakingly devised had once again fallen apart because of those two men's schemes,

he immediately became as anxious as an ant on a hot pan, unable to sit or stand still.

If he accepted the appointment and dumped the blame onto Laiya afterward, his plan could still proceed.

But when he thought about how Laiya had just helped him, only for him to turn around and push that poor girl in front of that dragon girl to die in his place,

John felt guilty just imagining it.

He felt that the word "good-for-nothing" was made for people like him.

Whenever it was time to show kindness, he always unconsciously held something back. Whenever it was time to do evil, he always hesitated and shrank away.

In short, he was useless at accomplishing anything and excellent at ruining everything.

Damn it, think, John! Smart as you are, you can definitely come up with a solution that satisfies everyone!

John rubbed his aching temples and unconsciously walked forward by instinct, his mind constantly searching through the information he had gathered so far for a way to keep Laiya from dying while ensuring that he himself could safely get through this mission.

Just as John was racking his brains over this, a loud recitation suddenly reached his ears and interrupted his thoughts:

"As soldiers, our foremost objective must be to safeguard the honor of the Empire! At the same time, we must unwaveringly follow the principles laid down by His Majesty the Emperor, maintaining the Empire's current territory!"

"..."

Wait, why did that sound so damn familiar?

Hearing those strangely familiar words, John abruptly stopped and looked around in confusion.

Only then did he realize that he had somehow arrived at the rest area of the 14th Squad.

More precisely, he had come near his own tent.

And in an open space directly ahead, he saw an extremely familiar figure: his beloved vice-captain, Wendy Brown.

The words he had just heard had come from Wendy's mouth.

She had somehow gotten hold of a little green book, which seemed to have something written inside it.

She was currently reading its contents aloud, while the members of the 14th Squad stood in front of her. A crowd of other Imperial soldiers had also gathered around them,

watching the members of the 14th Squad with curious and puzzled expressions.

"Keep reading! You want to become Mage Soldiers with voices that quiet? I can't hear you! Start over!"

Holding the little green book, Wendy shouted at the soldiers. Her round face was filled with pride and self-satisfaction, as though she were carrying out some sacred duty.

Upon hearing Wendy's reprimand, the members of the 14th Squad did not feel ashamed in the slightest. Instead, as if they fully agreed with their vice-captain, they began reciting with even greater effort, each of them shouting until their faces were red and their necks bulged. Anyone who did not know better might have thought this was some gathering of cultists:

"As soldiers, our foremost objective must be to safeguard the honor of the Empire!"

"You bunch of trash, did you skip your meals? I can't hear any loyalty to the Empire in your voices! Start over!"

"As soldiers..."

"I can't hear you! Start over!!!"

The more Wendy scolded them, the more excited she became. Her round little face had turned bright red, and just as she was smugly enjoying the thrill of lecturing the soldiers,

a hand landed on her little head wrapped in chestnut hair. As force suddenly burst from that merciless iron grip, her brows immediately furrowed, and she instinctively wanted to turn around and elbow the bastard who had attacked her.

But after hearing the incomparably familiar voice by her ear, her entire body instantly froze in place, cold sweat unconsciously forming across her forehead.

"My dear Vice-Captain Wendy, could you explain exactly what you are doing right now?"

Looking at the idiot subordinate before him, whose wandering gaze and guilty face practically screamed the words "I feel guilty," John gritted his teeth.

(End of Chapter)